Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest, has unveiled another show-stopping headline act for 2026: Adam Smith, the visionary commercial, television drama, documentary, music video, visual artist and feature film director best known for his long-standing creative partnership with The Chemical Brothers.
For more than 30 years, Smith has been the musical duo’s visual architect, directing seminal music videos, designing the surreal and visionary visual elements that define their live shows, and directing the acclaimed concert film Don’t Think. His pioneering creativity has shaped the look and feel of modern electronic performance.
In 2024, Smith’s visuals reached iconic cultural venues worldwide, including the Vegas Sphere, the Royal Albert Hall and the V&A, where Forbes praised his work as “a spectacular audiovisual experience”.
“Adam Smith is one of the rare creatives whose work doesn’t just entertain, it transforms how audiences feel,” said Pippa Chambers, content director of Cairns Crocodiles.
“His ability to merge technology, emotion and pure imagination makes him a perfect fit for the Cairns Crocodiles 2026 stage”.
Beyond music, Smith’s storytelling spans multiple forms. His documentaries include Channel 4’s early portrait of the grime scene Wot Do U Call It? and BBC Three’s Ghetto on Sea, which followed a pirate radio station. His television work includes Matt Smith’s debut episode as Doctor Who, the breakout first series of Skins, and the multi-Emmy-winning adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit.
Smith made his feature film debut with Trespass Against Us in 2017, starring Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson. His commercial portfolio includes work for global brands such as Nike, Adidas, The National Lottery and The Children’s Society. He also created Jaguar’s branded short starring Damian Lewis, which premiered at Sundance London. In 2020, he directed ‘Choose Life’ for The Climate Coalition, written by Richard Curtis and narrated by Trainspotting’s Kelly Macdonald.
Did we mention he’s directed music videos such as Blinded By The Lights by The Streets.
Speaking to Chambers ahead of Cairns Crocodiles, Smith — who works with creative partner Marcus Lyall — reflected on the extraordinary creative freedom he enjoys with The Chemical Brothers. He describes his inspiration as “magpie” behaviour, drawing from dance, exhibitions, picture books, Pinterest boards and even unexpected objects, like a necklace that sparked the concept for his iconic pink catwalk figures. He also has forthright views on commercial work, despite winning awards for it, describing art and commerce as “tricky bedfellows.”
“In 2026 Cairns Crocodiles is exploring a strong theme around ‘Rewilding Creativity’ and there’s no better brain to interrogate that with than Adam’s,” Chambers added.
Smith is currently immersed in a major new creative collaboration with Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora Aksnes, working alongside Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands on the visuals, creative direction and upcoming live show for her next project. Click here or the picture below to see more of Smith’s work.
Known for blending cutting-edge technology with a distinctly human touch, Smith continues to stand out in an increasingly uniform digital world. At Cairns Crocodiles 2026, he will explore the creative processes behind his genre-spanning body of work and share first-hand insights into how music, storytelling and technology combine to create truly immersive experiences.
Cairns Crocodiles runs from May 12 to 14, 2026, bringing together leading thinkers, creators and provocateurs to celebrate creativity, culture and the power of ideas under the Queensland sun.
Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest has also announced another major headline speaker for 2026: global brand strategist and creative force Paula Bloodworth. Co-founder and chief marketing officer of Alien Baby, the creative studio launched with actor and activist Idris Elba, Bloodworth is the former head of international strategy at Uncommon Creative Studio in London and one of the industry’s most respected strategic thinkers.
